Rachel Maddow follows up on last night's breaking news that the Pentagon planned to brief Donald Trump's top campaign donor, Elon Musk, on top-secret U.S. plans for a potential war with China, with new reports that Trump says he only learned of the plan from the media and ordered that the briefing not take place. Trump's explanation is not especially reassuring as it raises new, unsettling questions.

Rachel Maddow reports on the ridiculous, bungled spectacle of the Trump administration's release of unredacted documents related to the JFK assassination. Donald Trump appears to have thoughtlessly announced the release of the documents, and the sycophants who serve him followed his order to the letter, apparently without thinking about what they were doing. The result was the unredacted publishing of the social security numbers of people who were involved in the investigation, including many people who are still alive, like Trump's own lawyer, Joe diGenova. 

Rachel Maddow looks at recent acts of sabotage by Russia in countries that support Ukraine, including what is believed to be the planning stages of detonating a bomb in a cargo plane over the United States. Erin Banco, national security correspondent for Reuters, joins to discuss her new reporting that the U.S. is now taking steps to back away from its role in helping to counter Russian acts of sabotage.

Rachel Maddow reports on yet another bad day in the courts for Donald Trump as he was made to restore jobs his top campaign donor, Elon Musk, had slashed, and was similarly made to restore USAID, another victim of Musk's DOGE, and lastly, had his anti-trans military policy rejected and was given a lesson in the language of the Declaration of Independence for good measure.

The U.S. Institute for Peace announced Monday that despite being independent of the executive branch and controlling its own building and the land it sits on, their objections to members of Elon Musk's DOGE team trespassing in their building were overridden by D.C. police. That came after an earlier confrontation in which DOGE was accompanied by the FBI. Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, who is suing the U.S. Marshals for information on DOGE after a similar raid, joins to discuss the unprecedented nature of DOGE leveraging the threat of armed law enforcement against another part of the government.

Rachel Maddow shares the amazing, historic story of how former Senator Alan Simpson and former Representative Norm Mineta partnered on hearings into the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, and why Donald Trump's reported plan to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which was used to justify Japanese internment, is raising alarm.

Rachel Maddow reads from the court transcript in which a federal judge blasts the Trump administration's defense of its firing of thousands of federal workers and orders that the jobs be restored, with some harsh words for Trump's lawyers to boot.

Rachel Maddow shares video of Rep. John Larson channeling the outrage of his constituents at the anticipation that Donald Trump's top donor, Elon Musk, is intending to destroy Social Security in order to privatize it. The Washington Post reported early Wednesday that Musk was planning cuts to Social Security's telephone customer service, but by the end of the day those plans had been cancelled. Between the public outcry and the exposure in the media, the pushback on Social Security cuts appears to have worked.  

Plus, House Republicans literally alter time to avoid responsibility for Trump wrecking the economy

Rachel Maddow shows how the United States under Donald Trump is growing increasingly reliant on Elon Musk, and his Starlink program in particular. But Musk's words and deeds suggest he is not acting for the good of the United States.

As Donald Trump guts the programs and agencies behind some of America's greatest scientific achievements and fires the people responsible for those achievements and working on new ones, scientists across the country from every discipline took to the streets in protest to "stand up for science."

Rachel Maddow talks with Hampton Dellinger, former chief of the Office of Special Counsel, about the importance of political independence for his watchdog agency, and his fight against Trump to restore the jobs of improperly fired federal workers.

Rachel Maddow reports on the number of Trump cuts, firings and other initiatives that have been reversed, blocked, walked back or reconsidered, and the variety of American institutions, from the courts to the streets, that have contributed to restraining Trump from asserting the full force of his will.

Rachel Maddow and a panel of her MSNBC colleagues react to Donald Trump's first address to a joint session of Congress of his second term.

Rachel Maddow surveys the varied and widespread protests in opposition to Donald Trump's wanton destruction of the federal government. From weather scientists to immigrants to LGBTQ+ and its allies to consumer advocates to park rangers, each round of firings or extremist executive orders brings a new collection of anti-Trump activists under an ever-widening tent.

Rachel Maddow looks at a string of peculiar behavior by Donald Trump and Trump administration policies that don't seem to have the welfare of the United States as their goal, and wonders who those policies are good for if they aren't good for the U.S.

A bright red line before a country loses democracy entirely is when its government loses respect for the rule of law and feels free to ignore rulings by judges. So when some of Donald Trump's nominees to be senior DOJ officials gave soft answers on whether a president can ignore judges, alarms rang for many senators present, even Republicans. Senator Dick Durbin, leading Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, talks with Rachel Maddow about the peril Trump poses to the essence of America's identity.

The measles outbreak in Texas continues to grow and has now claimed the life of an unvaccinated child. In Washington, D.C., at a Cabinet meeting apparently assembled for TV cameras, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s statements about the outbreak were distressingly erroneous.

Elon Musk's DOGE team removed key items from its "wall of receipts" after journalists fact-checked their boasts of billions in savings from cuts to federal programs and exposed sloppy errors and outright falsehoods. Rachel Maddow reports on the walk back taking place shortly after a withering rebuke from a federal judge for not complying with an order to allow funding to continue, all amid the embarrassment of having to un-fire federal workers recklessly let go without consideration for the necessity of their role.

Rachel Maddow reports on Republican legislators being confronted at town hall meetings by angry constituents who want them to resist Donald Trump's dismantling of the federal government. But Republicans aren't the only focus of voters' outrage as Democratic legislators are being confronted to be more aggressive in obstructing Trump. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, top Democrat in the House, talks with Rachel Maddow about what Democrats are doing to get in Trump's way. 

Rachel Maddow notes that while Donald Trump golfs and performs stunts for TV cameras, Elon Musk is hard at work on the project of dismantling the U.S. government. And even though Musk's behavior is so poorly received it is hurting business for his car company, his business interests broadly are reaping rewards from the very government he is destroying.

Rachel Maddow checks in on new polling data about how Americans are feeling about the first few weeks of the second Donald Trump administration and the numbers are not good for Trump.

Rachel Maddow emphasizes the importance of resistance by Republican legislators to Donald Trump's agenda, and points out that the unpopularity of Trump's actions may help that resistance politically, but also some senators, like Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, have enough expertise in their chosen field to know how destructive Trump and his Cabinet are, and may be vulnerable to pressure on those issues. 

Rachel Maddow looks at how principled resignations are not only slowing down Donald Trump's agenda to destroy the U.S. federal government, but are drawing attention to the sketchy stunts Trump and Elon Musk are trying to get away with. 

Rachel Maddow follows the reporting on Donald Trump's reckless firing of federal employees who work in the nuclear industry, cleaning up nuclear waste, managing a nuclear power plant, and ensuring the safety of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, and the ridiculous situation of instantly regretting firing nuclear safety personnel but being unable to get in touch with them to rescind the dismissal.

Rachel Maddow looks at a series of unforced errors by Elon Musk and the DOGE team that calls into question the accuracy of their "tech genius" image and whether they have the competence to tinker with the systems that run the federal government.

Donald Trump was caught by surprise when Department of Justice prosecutors were too dedicated to the rule of law to go along with a deal to drop federal charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Rachel Maddow describes that drama that led to six protest resignations under new Trump attorney general, Pam Bondi.

Rachel Maddow looks at the many ways Americans are obstructing Donald Trump's goal of dismantling the Department of Education, from street protests to lawsuits to acts of defiance by congressional Democrats, and notes that the response to the threat to the Department of Education is emblematic of the broader national opposition to Trump's agenda.

Rachel Maddow runs through a surprisingly lengthy list of people Donald Trump has chosen to work in his administration who had previously lost elections. Being rejected by voters did not disqualify them from serving in representative government, as far as Trump is concerned.

On a new podcast series, ?The Blueprint with Jen Psaki,? host Jen Psaki dives into two crucial questions: where do Democrats stand in this moment? And how can they win again?

Listen to the full first episode here, as Jen sits down with Governor Wes Moore of Maryland. They reflect on the meaning of patriotism, where the party can be bolder, and authenticity as a winning factor.

Follow ?The Blueprint with Jen Psaki? to catch new episodes. Episode two with writer Jack Schlossberg is in the feed now. 

And sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen without ads.

Rachel Maddow explains how the disclosure forms for Kash Patel, Donald Trump's pick to lead the FBI, show at $25,000 payment from a Russia-linked filmmaker for Patel's participation in a pro-Russia propaganda documentary attacking the FBI.

Despite Donald Trump being accommodating to staffers whose views on race would be disqualifying in most administrations, a member of Elon Musk's team has reportedly resigned after the discovery of his past racist online statements. Rachel Maddow looks at new details that are coming to light about some of the other members of Musk's crew that will make people already uncomfortable with Musk's overreach feel even worse.

Rachel Maddow looks at how Donald Trump's attack on USAID has sparked a widespread backlash, including from within his own party, as people speak out for the agency's mission and workers, as well as the economic ties in some parts of American to specific USAID programs, all of which Trump appears to have assumed no one cares about.

Rachel Maddow looks at how even on ideas that Donald Trump emphasized on the campaign trail he is doing a poor job executing or he is panicking and backpedaling when he realizes how many people he is upsetting, and the more his incompetence is exposed, the more his opponents are emboldened to find ways to stop him.

Rachel Maddow looks at examples of how Donald Trump and his allies are undermining news outlets, both local and national, by targeting revenue streams and exploiting oppressive legal strategies, while Trump embraces and rewards outlets that are politically loyal, building the basis of a state press. 

In an effort to not only rewrite the history of his January 6 insurrection but to exact revenge on the agents and lawyers who worked to hold his rioting supporters accountable, Donald Trump appears to be in the midst of a massive purge of the FBI and the DOJ, turning them into agencies that cater to his interests and concerns instead of the law. Rachel Maddow explains.

Rachel Maddow looks at the impressive list of accomplishments and credentials of former Secretary of Defense General Lloyd Austin, who served under President Biden, and the relatively meager experience of cable news personality Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's choice to replace him.

Rachel Maddow looks at the myriad ways Donald Trump has not only humiliated himself with foolish statements ill-considered ideas, but also embarrassed the United States of America for electing a fool for president.

In an exclusive interview, Rachel Maddow interviews Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, former Democratic nominee for vice president, in his first interview since the election, about how the Donald Trump administration's ill-advised freeze of federal funds exposes the role of Project 2025 in the Trump administration's plans, and Trump's ultimate goal of destroying the U.S. government.  

Rachel Maddow takes a closer look at Donald Trump's pick to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, who several of his past colleagues from the first Trump administration warn has a tendency to make stuff up.

Senator Tammy Duckworth expresses her disappointment with her Republican colleagues for voting for Donald Trump's unqualified defense secretary nominee, Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, with only Senators Murkowski and Collins voting "no" until, somewhat unexpectedly Senator Mitch McConnell also cast a vote against.

A closer look at Trump defense secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth's, divorce papers from his second wife shows language forbidding them from saying disparaging things about each other in public, which matters right now because of recent claims that raise questions about Pete Hegseth's character. Rachel Maddow talks with MSNBC legal correspondent Lisa Rubin about this new reporting.

Introducing ?Trumpland with Alex Wagner.? 

On ?Trumpland,? MSNBC?s Alex Wagner takes a break from the anchor chair to get out into the field and speak with the people on the frontlines of Trump?s policies?and promises.  

Listen to the full first episode here, as Alex travels to DC?but not for the inauguration. 

Hours after President Trump was in sworn into office for the second time, he began issuing a series of presidential pardons for the January 6th insurrection. Listen along as Alex speaks to the inmates, their families, and the police officers who survived one of the most violent attacks on the Capitol in our nation?s history. 

Catch new episodes of ?Trumpland with Alex Wagner? on Thursday evenings during Trump?s first 100 days. You can find the show in the ?Alex Wagner Tonight? feed.  

Remember to follow the show so you don?t miss a single episode. And sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen without ads.

Rachel Maddow talks with Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington about speaking from the pulpit directly to Donald Trump about showing mercy for the vulnerable people targeted by his policies, and what has happened since, as well as the role of the church in moral leadership in the United States.

Rachel Maddow looks at the stammering and squirming by Republican members of Congress who are on record opposing the pardoning of January 6th rioters who were convicted of acts of violence against police, and who are now struggling to answer for Donald Trump doing exactly that.

Rachel Maddow explains why Donald Trump's family favors, grift, conflicts of interest, and uninhibited mix of money and politics are more than just inappropriate or in violation of some esoteric ethics code, but actually have real-world consequences for how government functions (or doesn't). 

Rachel Maddow marvels at the fact that even with a second chance at it, Donald Trump cannot manage to oversee a presidential transition that isn't chaotic and in poor order, including failing to get the proper paperwork done on his own Cabinet nominees.

Rachel Maddow remarks on Donald Trump's embrace of the January 6 rioters and the insurrectionist militias that have declared themselves for him, pointing out on this peaceful January 6th the new implicit threat of violence if Donald Trump and Republicans in league with him are not assured electoral victories.

Donald Trump's transition ahead of his second term in office was already a series of humiliations and failures as his inability to pick qualified members of his administration was laid bare, but the spending bill debacle showed that in addition to that incompetence, Trump is vulnerable to being taken advantage of, as Elon Musk did with apparent ease.

What does the United States look like when the presidency is purchased by billionaires? How do they reap the benefits of their investment and how does it end up hurting everyone else? And perhaps more importantly, as we see the new Trump era oligarchy taking shape, what can Americans do to slow that slide? Rachel Maddow talks with Timothy Snyder and the ACLU's Anthony Romero.